Did Hue Jackson tip his cards on Hagan?

Did Hue Jackson tip his cards on Hagan?

ALAMEDA -- The Raiders apparently waiving receiver Derek Hagan to make room for T.J. Houshmandzadeh has created mixed and surprised reactions in the streets of Silver and Blackdom.But should it have? Many fans appreciated Hagan's work ethic and sure hands. Yet coach Hue Jackson gave a huge clue about Hagan's place in the receiver rotation early this season. Despite Hagan leading the team in receiving in the preseason with 12 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown, Hagan was inactive for the season opener at Denver.RELATED: Source -- Raiders waive Hagan to make room for Houshmandzadeh
Asked four days later what went not that decision, Jackson did not blink."OK, let me, because this has come up several times, about Hagan," Jackson said at the time. "I just said Hagan's done a great job and obviously he was our leading receiver in the preseason, right? But I never once said he's the best receiver on our team. I never once said that. What he did in the preseason gave him an opportunity to be on this football team. It did not make him the starting receiver on this football team. So let's make sure we understand where I was with Hagan.
"Now, if he gets an opportunity this weekend, he gets an opportunity but I get to make that decision. Nobody else. Me. So everybody else who thinks I was supposed to put him out there because he was our leading receiver in the preseason, forget that we had other guys that have been very good receivers on this team. So I get to make that decision. That's the decision I made last week and on we go. Now, if he plays this week, he plays."Told he had said players would earn playing time based on performance, Jackson did not flinch, either."Yeah, but here's the deal -- you said'Performed the best,'" Jackson said. "No doubt, but we had some other guys that hadn't practiced that I've seen perform in games and make big plays, (like) Jacoby Ford. So, you guys were like, I'm supposed to sit him down, sit Jacoby Ford down, and let this kid play."No, that's not where I was. So, let's make it clear about what that was. That was for him to get on the team. Performance is what matters, and that's what got him on the team. That's where it starts first. Then, he has to continue to perform and beat some of these guys out and then he'll play. That's the way it works. OK, anything else?"

Oakland, Alameda County to vote on possible Raiders stadium term sheet next week

Oakland, Alameda County to vote on possible Raiders stadium term sheet next week

The Oakland City Council and Alameda County Supervisors will soon hold a public hearing and vote on a term sheet for a stadium proposal designed to keep the Raiders in Oakland, the City of Oakland announced on Friday afternoon.

These actions will occur on Dec. 13, as local authorities attempt to expedite a stadium plan that will prevent the Raiders from being approved to relocate to the Las Vegas market.

Oakland and Alameda County have paired with Fortress Investment Group to create a stadium funding plan that does not include taxpayer dollars. The public will contribute to infrastructure improvements, but stadium construction will come from private sources.

The private investment group is fronted by former NFL players Ronnie Lott and Rodney Peete.

A financial framework, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, can be viewed here. More details about this Oakland stadium plan should be released next week.

City and county votes are the next step in creating a plan enticing enough to the NFL that it would pump the brakes on allowing the Raiders to move to Las Vegas.

That is Raiders owner Mark Davis’ stated desire. He has not negotiated with local public officials in some time, pouring focus into a Las Vegas stadium plan that has already received $750 million in public subsidy to construct if the Raiders are given the green light to move.

There are several complications associated with this deal, most notably that Davis wants no part in it. The NFL is reportedly intrigued by Oakland’s market potential, and generally prefers that teams remain in their home markets.

Raiders snap count: Nate Allen plays every defensive down

Raiders snap count: Nate Allen plays every defensive down

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Raiders left guard Kelechi Osemele spent Thursday morning in a Kansas City hospital with an undisclosed illness, and was unfit to play that night against Kansas City.

That was a big blow to the Silver and Black, who played a pivotal game against the Chiefs without their tone-setter up front.

The Raiders have depth along the offensive line, giving position coach Mike Tice options to fill Osemele’s spot. He took an unconventional route, having rookie Vadal Alexander take most of the snaps for Osemele.

Alexander, who has played tackle as a professional but spent most of his collegiate career at guard, took 66 snaps at left guard. That information comes from the official NFL game book.

Jon Feliciano, typically the first guard off the bench, rotated series with Alexander early on. That apparently stopped as the game progressed, with Feliciano taking just nine offensive snaps.

Alexander allowed four quarterback pressures including a hit on Derek Carr.

Safety Nate Allen played all 55 defensive snaps at strong safety for Karl Joseph, who missed Thursday’s game with a toe injury.

Denico Autry and Dan Williams also saw more action with Darius Latham and Stacy McGee out with ankle injuries.

The Raiders played out of the shotgun and pistol formations to protect Carr’s ailing right pinky, which generally kept a third receiver on the field. Seth Roberts played 71 snaps on Thursday, and didn’t do much with them. He had just two catches for 12 yards on nine targets. He also had two drops.